We "winter-lovers" believe that anyone who actually welcomes DC summer, with its disgusting, sticky, code red air quality, 90+ degree days, should also shiver in shame during the one or two days of actual cold each DC winter...

Nice. So DC goes from a $300 million surplus to a $300 million shortfall in around three years. That's what happens when you hire budget "planners" who have to take off their shoes to count past ten.

And didn't Takoma Park declared itself a Stab-Free Zone? Can you blame them? I can barely stifle the urge to ram every car I see that's plastered in Deadhead, Free Mumia, and "Visualize Whirled Peas" bumperstickers.

Now all we need is some snow to go along with the cooler* temperatures (* It is not cold in my book unless the temp is in the teens)

Of course during these one or two days of actual cold we get there will be clear skies, with the deluge of precipitation to follow only after the temperatures climb fully above freezing. Someone do a snow dance. Bring on Davy DCist!

The best part about Winter in DC is that the National Weather Service will upgrade the forecast from "Winter Wonderland" to "Class 3 Killstorm," but DC Schools will STILL be open one hour late. Suck it, kids.

Detroit makes $h!t cars nobody wants or needs and they get a blank check and promise to make cars that might get 30MPG by 2069.

But what about the UAW being told to drop dead by those evil Senators? You must be a heartless monkey that only cares about a good economy, balanced budgets and good credit.

"Current unionized employees of Detroit auto firms have a total compensation package of approximately $80 per hour, of which $55 comes from simple cash payments (wages, overtime, and vacation pay), and about $25 of which comes from fringe benefits, like health insurance and pensions. $80 per hour amounts to four times as much as the typical American worker makes, benefits included. By comparison, nonunionized employees of Honda and Toyota have a total compensation rate of approximately $45 an hour, with most of the gap stemming from less generous benefits. Honda and Toyota are profitable companies, the big 3 are not."

Toyota, number one seller in America -> Toyota's US workers make less than the big three workers -> Toyota, no longer a profitable company.

If people actually bought American cars (in America that is) perhaps the $80 hour compensation would be supported (just a chance anyway). But since people would rather rock a mauve fanny pack, with lace trim, and the word "impotent" spelled out in bedazzles, than be seen getting out of a Chevy Cobalt, there is little hope.

As for you masochists wanting colder weather. Quite a few of us love and support DC's communal winter "bitchness." We are the dreamers, and we hope for the chance that an errant flake will shut down the city and allow us to sleep in for a few hours. Since about 60% of this city is normally chained to their desks, some will do anything to get out of the regular routine, and if that means emailing your boss from your blackberry and typing a long narrative about your metro train being overturned in a snowbank- then so be it.

What sort of hyper-metabolic nuts actually want to freeze their faces off when the alternative is warmth? And why aren't you mining diamonds in Siberia then? I hear there is a lot of Rubles to be made if you don't mind the numbness. Solsitce has passed, her comes the warm jets.

Here's a nice breakdown of the auto worker wages:

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/12/10/business/20081210_LEONHARDT_GRAPHIC.html

You'll see the big difference are the legacy costs for retired workers' health and pension plan payments. For new union workers, per a 2007 UAW agreement, there's barely a difference in wages plus standard benefits (vacation, health, etc).

I'm not saying UAW can't make some changes. But $80/hr is a bit misleading.

"Bluster and Blunder" edition and neither Peter Nickles nor Mary Cheh are mentioned once? There is no justice in this world, I tell you.